The Times They Are A Changin'
by Demosthenes23
Summary: The time after Murdoch's proposal to Julia, all the way to their wedding at the beginning of a new century. Oh and Murdoch tries to solve a mystery.
1. This too shall pass

It was a wedding for the ages. Not only did it literally take place at the dawn of a new age, but there had been present one of the most spectacular displays of human ingenuity up to that point. It was...but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

Murdoch experienced a lovely after glow high in the days following his proposal to Julia. Doubtless so did she. It was all but confirmed by her constant smiling whether or not he was around. But when he was, he could tell she was feeling just as jubilant as he was. The days passed by in a blur and before he knew it, it had been two weeks since that fateful night.

The more surprising thing to him was that Julia had already planned out the entire wedding reception, before they had even figured out where or when they were to get married! He was overjoyed by her eagerness to get this show on the road and also quite happy that she hadn't needed to bother him with any of the specifics. Besides which, he basically told her to plan it how she wanted, as he had no idea about such things anyways (the only thing he wanted to be consulted on was the location of the wedding). However, when he saw the price tag attached to all of it, he lost some faith in her planning skills. There was no way he could afford such extravagances!

After discussing the findings from a recent murder victim, their conversation took a more personal direction. And things were getting heated (in a bad way).

"I already told you, William, you don't need to worry about it. My father will take care of everything."

"That's not the point, Julia! This goes beyond acceptable limits!"

"You mean _your_ limits?" she said, started to get annoyed. "I know you're not a rich man but _you_ know I've never cared about such things. But if _I_ have the means to have my dream wedding, why shouldn't I? After all, it only happens once in a lifetime."

Julia realized her mistake and looked away as she finished her sentence. Murdoch wasn't letting her off that easy.

"Is that what this is about?" he asked haughtily. "You feel the need to prove something because of your disastrous marriage?"

"No, it has nothing to do with that!" she exclaimed. "How dare you even bring up such a thing!"

"I'll bring up whatever the devil I want!" he shouted. "I want you to come to your senses Julia! We don't need half the things you have planned!"

"Maybe we don't need _any_ of it at all!" she countered, feeling horrible as soon as she said it.

They averted their gazes for a few seconds out of awkwardness but also to give themselves some time to cool off.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't mean it."

"No,_ I'm _sorry, Julia," he said taking her hand. "I wanted no part of that whole affair, so I shouldn't criticize how you choose to do things."

"Thank you for saying that, William, though I suppose I am being somewhat unreasonable. Is it so wrong that I want everything to be perfect?"

"Of course not, Julia."

"I'll see what changes I can make. After all," she said smiling, "marriage is all about compromise."

"That may well be the case but there's always a bright side to things," he said also smiling.

"Oh?" she said raising her eyebrows, "and what would that be?"

"I get to come home every night and do this."

He pulled her close and they kissed for awhile, until all his anger ebbed away and it was but a distant memory.

"Yes, there's always that," she said slightly breathless as she always was after kissing him.

"Well, I guess I should continue on with the investigation."

Reluctantly releasing her hand, he headed back to the station house.

* * *

Three days later he ran into someone rather unexpected. It was Alexander Graham Bell.

"Mr. Bell," he said, offering his hand, "how good to see you again."

"Likewise, detective," Bell said, clasping hands. "I'm rather glad we were able to put that whole sordid affair to rest so quickly." Shaking his head he said, "Death, what a dreadful business to be in."

"Yes, well, someone has to do it."

"Indeed."

"Forgive me for prying, Mr. Bell, but I'm very curious to know what you are working on now."

He looked off to the left momentarily and said, "Oh, nothing much at the moment, detective. I'm taking a bit of a break."

According to his half brother Jasper, looking to the left signified that someone was lying. But why would Bell lie to him? Was he worried that Murdoch might try to steal one of his ideas? What a preposterous notion! Surely Bell knew that even after only one encounter? So what was so top secret that he wasn't privy to the details?

Murdoch chose to ignore Bell's fib (if indeed he was lying, after all it was a tenuous form of intuition to say the least). "Everyone's entitled to breaks now and then. I myself indulge in that pursuit once in a while."

Bell nodded and said, "Well, I must be going now. I was actually on the way to meet some friends before I ran into you."

"Of course, sir, have a good time."

Murdoch had solved the previous murder yesterday and had nothing to do at the moment. He waited for Bell to be just on the periphery of his vision to begin tailing him. This was relatively easy for he was wearing a red coat that stood out amongst the crowd. Bell walked for several minutes and then got into a carriage. Murdoch hurried to do the same. Unfortunately, by the time he managed to find an available one, he had lost Bell. This mystery was going to have to wait a bit before being solved.

* * *

"William," said Julia that same day, "we really must decide on a location for the wedding. I'm very eager to send out the invitations and I can't do that until I know _where_ the wedding will take place."

"Yes, it's about time we did that." He had purposely avoided this for as long as possible. "I have some thoughts on the matter but would like to hear your opinion first."

"Well, I don't really have a preference myself. As you well know, I'm not a religious person and besides which, I've pretty much decided everything else already. So you should get to decide this detail."

"In that case, what do you say to getting married at my church?"

She frowned at that. "I'd be delighted to but won't there be issues with that? Am I even allowed to get married there?"

Rather than answer her questions he said, "I've spoken with the parish priest. He's agreed to meet with us to get to know you better. We'll see how it goes from there."

Murdoch felt terrible about not coming completely clean with her right then and there. He knew this meeting would not end well but stubbornly wanted to try anyways.

Julia gave him a suspicious look but didn't comment on his evasion of the topic. "And what of the date?" she asked. "I was thinking the first of January would be a nice touch. The start of a new life at the start of a new year has a nice symmetry to it, wouldn't you agree?"

"Absolutely. That sounds lovely. Hopefully our guests won't indulge too much in champagne the night before."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be able to restrain themselves." She smirked, "Well, maybe not Uncle Horace but everyone else will. Anyways, when will we meet with the priest?"

"I'll arrange it for tomorrow," he said, feeling apprehensive for what was to come.

* * *

William was shaking hands with the priest.

"You must be Julia," he said also proffering his hand. "I'm Father Gallagher. Pleased to meet you."

"You as well," she said taking his hand.

The older man sat back down behind his desk and they followed suit in the chairs before him.

"So Julia," said the priest, "let's get to know one another better, shall we?"

She nodded and said, "What would you like to know?"

"For starters, have you ever been married before?"

"Yes, but I'm now widowed."

"I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she said rather hesitantly, feeling awkward considering she was happy he was dead. The real truth of Darcy's true nature and subsequent demise had never been revealed to the papers. If it had, she would have become a social pariah. Julia knew she owed William and Thomas for that rather large favour, even though they chose to deny it.

"Have you been baptized?"

"I'm afraid that I have not," she said slowly. "Is that a requirement?"

"We prefer if our constituents have undergone that holy sacrament but it is not absolutely necessary. There are ways around such matters. But tell me first, would you _consider_ being baptized?"

Julia was silent for awhile before speaking again. She glanced at William who was fidgeting in his seat nervously. "I really don't think that's something I could do."

"I see. Does that mean you have no religious affiliations whatsoever?"

"You are correct. I am not a religious person."

"Well," he said turning to William. "I can contact the bishop and ask for dispensation. But as I'm sure you're aware, William, there are certain promises that must be made beforehand by the unbeliever in the party."

"What do you ask of me?" said Julia cautiously. She was surprised at how lenient the system had been up till now. Somehow she knew things were about to change.

"The Roman Catholic church only has two rules in this regard. First, that you won't interfere in your husband's faith at all. He must be allowed to practice Catholicism fully and without impediment. This means no undermining of his belief system." Julia got a lump in her throat at that statement. She had already on several occasions tried to get William to see the ludicrousness of certain things in the Bible. And, she thought with a touch of pride, had been moderately successful. "Secondly, William must be granted full rights to raising any children you may have in the catholic faith. Again, you must _not_ interfere in this regard at all." Now Julia got angry. How dare anyone take her rights away! "Do you agree to these stipulations? Know now that telling a falsehood would be a sin."

She concealed her anger as best she could but then when she saw William looking away guiltily, just couldn't help herself. He had known all along that she wouldn't agree to such things! And he had brought her here anyways!

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed standing up quickly, "but this isn't going to work out! I find this whole thing to be utterly laughable!"

Father Gallagher looked at her in a shocked, disapproving manner but she didn't care. Then she stormed out of the room with William hot on her heels. He ran in front of her and opened his mouth to speak but she wouldn't let him.

"Don't!" she said still fuming, "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

He hung his head and she left him standing there in front of Jesus Christ.

* * *

Several hours later, she came to him in his office. Murdoch looked up warily as she approached. He was still feeling the burn from her wrath. And she had been quite right to tell him off. It was his own fault that the whole ordeal happened in the first place.

"Julia," he said quietly, "I'm extremely sorry to have put you through that. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You should be sorry," she said sternly. Then more normally, "But I do understand to some degree why you did it. Faith is a very important aspect of your way of life. It's not surprising to me that you'd want to hold on to it."

He nodded and said, "I still shouldn't have done what I did."

"No, you shouldn't have." There was silence for several moments. "Is that something you want?" He looked at her confusedly. "To raise any children we choose to adopt as Roman Catholics?"

"I'd be lying if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind before. Clearly you do not approve of such a thing."

"I wouldn't say that exactly, William, rather I'm annoyed at being told that I _have_ to do such a thing. And that's my main problem with religion; that I'm not free to believe in what I think is right; that I'm not allowed to question the dogma from thousands of years ago!" Again there was silence. "So what do we do now, William?"

"I'm not sure," he said sadly, "we seem to be at an impasse."

She sighed and said, "Even if I _did_ agree to let you raise our children as Catholics, I can't in good faith promise to _never_ interfere farther down the line when they are old enough to think for themselves and make their own informed decisions. I simply can't agree to that."

"Yes, I had a feeling you'd say that. Well, Julia, I believe it's my turn to compromise. We won't get married at my church, besides which, I doubt we could do so even if you agreed to the rules. Needless to say, Father Gallagher was less than taken with you." She made no show of feeling badly about this and he didn't blame her. "We'll have to get married at another church that doesn't require you to make any promises of that nature."

"And then what, William? This is still clearly an issue that needs to be solved. If I do agree to let you raise our children a certain way, will you agree to let them exercise their rights as intelligent, free thinking people when they are old enough?"

He hesitated for just a second but he was sure she noticed. "Of course. They should be free to believe in whatever they want." And then to get away from that topic said, "Anyways, don't worry about locating another church, I'll do that as soon as possible." In fact, he already had.


	2. One Knows and the Other Knows Not

About three weeks later he was in the middle of investigating the newest Toronto murder when he came across another familiar face. Murdoch was surprised to see him here as he hadn't heard of his being in town. As far as he knew, there were no lectures or events that could have necessitated his presence here.

"Mr. Tesla!" he called waving to him from across the street. Tesla looked in his direction, made eye contact and then continued on quickly as if he hadn't recognized him. Murdoch chased after him but slipped on some ice and went careening into a pile of snow. By the time he picked himself up again, he had lost track of Tesla, just like with Bell.

How odd, he thought as he knocked the snow off his clothing, that two such respectable men were behaving strangely around him. Why was Tesla avoiding him and why was Bell lying to him? Were they working on something together? Was it illegal in some manner? What was going on here?

One thing was for sure, whatever it was, they didn't want him to find out. Murdoch vowed to look into this matter fully when time permitted it. He got such a chance a few days later after he had solved the case.

"George, come here."

"What is it, sir?"

"I need your help with something important."

"Like what?"

"I need you to locate Mr. Telsa and find out what he's up to."

"You mean Nikola Tesla?"

"Yes, George."

"Why do you want to find him?"

"He's up to something and I want to know what."

Crabtree raised his eyebrows. "Up to something? You mean something criminal?"

"Possibly, I'm not sure, that's why I need your help."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I find it hard to believe that he'd be caught up in nefarious affairs. What makes you think he's up to anything anyways?"

Murdoch was starting to get annoyed. The only reason he was asking for George's help at all was because Tesla was less likely to flee before him. Murdoch was going to track down Bell himself.

"I have my reasons, George. Are you going to help me or not?"

"Of course, sir, I'll get right on it."

* * *

It didn't take long to figure out where Bell was staying; it was the Gladstone hotel. Murdoch got an eerie feeling of Deja Vu as soon as he entered. This was because only about five months ago he had been forced to go there during a bizarre game of cat and mouse. He shook the feeling off and was happy to note that the concierge was _not_ the same man as last time. There had been something very off putting about that man and for a time he had thought him to be a serial killer.

Murdoch approached the desk and asked if Mr. Bell was in. The man informed him that he had left a short while ago and that he didn't know where he had gone to. So Murdoch waited patiently in the lobby for an hour, awaiting his return. When he didn't show up within another half an hour, Murdoch gave up and told the concierge to inform Bell that a Detective Murdoch was looking for him. If Bell chose to ignore this information, it would all but confirm his suspicions that he was up to no good.

* * *

"Murdoch, get in here!" barked Brackenreid from his office.

He hastened to comply with this command, suspecting he was in a mild amount of trouble. Not long before this, Crabtree had apologetically informed him that Tesla had caught him snooping around and that he had correctly deduced that Murdoch was behind it.

"Yes, sir," he said politely, closing the door. "What is it?"

"Don't give me that bollocks! You know bloody well what's wrong! I've just received a call from a rather prominent individual. I'm sure you've heard of him before. Tesla is confused as to why you're poking around in his affairs. And so am I. Explain yourself!"

"I believe that he and Bell are hiding something from me and I want to know what it is."

"Oh bloody hell! Have your wedding jitters made your brain go wrong? Please tell me you aren't harassing those gentlemen simply because you're curious about what they're up to! This is Alexander Graham Bell and Nikola Tesla we're talking about! What could they possibly be doing that's against the law?"

"I agree that it's a rather unlikely scenario but then why are they avoiding me?"

The inspector threw his hands up and muttered, "Bugger if I know." More bruskly, "But you're to leave them alone now. That's an order!"

Murdoch nodded and left the room. Dare he defy a direct order? No, of course not. Not after everything Brackenreid sacrificed for him. He'd have to let the matter go, besides which, it was time to start focusing on his upcoming nuptials.

Bell did contact him a few hours later via telephone. But since Murdoch was now forbidden from investigating him, he told Bell that he no longer required his assistance with the matter in which he had been contacted for.

However, it was easier said than done to completely forgo any investigation into this matter, for two days later (the day before his wedding was to take place) he came across Pendrick. Murdoch wasn't surprised to see him here. It had been over a month since his last venture in Nova Scotia had been discontinued. Likely he didn't see any point in staying out there any longer and had returned home. He was about to make himself known to Pendrick when he saw him greet someone. It was Mr. Tesla! They got into a nearby carriage. Murdoch had his bike with him this time so he was able to immediately start following them.

They carried on for quite a while, completely leaving the confines of the city and heading out to the rural areas. The roads weren't as clear as they had been in the city and as a result he had to go slower than he would have liked. Fortunately so too did the carriage. His prey stopped in front of an iron gate that was attached to a six foot high stone wall. The wall appeared to continue around the entire property. But he was going to have to brave it now as Pendrick had locked the gate behind him.

After they were out of sight, he waited a minute before attempting to climb over the wall. It was a bit difficult but he managed it without falling on his face. The problem was that there had been a large amount of snow piled up on both sides of it and now he was wet up to his waist. Disregarding this, he looked around and found himself in a completely wooded area, the trees were quite tall and seemed to enshroud the ensuing area. Murdoch followed the path for several minutes before he heard a noise. It got louder and louder until it sounded like it was right upon him. He looked around for the source of the noise but couldn't find it. And then all of a sudden he saw it.

_Oh my goodness!_

* * *

That evening, while they were dancing at the constabulary ball, Julia could easily sense that something was the matter with William. He had barely spoken two words to her all evening even though she kept trying different topics. She wondered if he was experiencing much more severe wedding jitters than she was. But even that wouldn't account for his complete and utter absorption in his inner thoughts. There was no case that required that much attention. Besides which, he would normally ask for her opinions on such things if he was struggling so fiercely to solve something. Was he ill? He didn't appear to be to her and if he were, surely he wouldn't be dancing. So what was wrong? She decided to try one last time to break through to him by using an unorthodox method.

"William," she whispered in his ear seductively, "what do you say to finding an empty room and making love?"

At first it didn't seem to have any effect whatsoever but then he abruptly stopped dancing and really focused on her for the first time that evening. Finally the shock of what she had said could plainly be seen on his face.

"Julia, what has gotten into you?" he hissed. "This is a public place and besides which we are to be married tomorrow!"

"I wasn't being serious, William, I simply wanted to get your attention. In case you hadn't noticed, you've been ignoring your bride to be the entire evening!"

"Oh. I'm sorry, I was just ruminating on something."

"And what would that be?"

He averted his gaze, "I can't tell you."

She raised her eyebrows at that. "We aren't even married yet and already you're keeping secrets?"

"Have no fear, Julia, this is a one time thing. Just trust me that it isn't anything to worry about."

"Trust goes both ways," she muttered darkly. "But I suppose I can let this matter slid...for now."

"Thank you, Julia. You'll be glad that you did. I know I wish I had."

Narrowing her eyes she said, "We'll see about that."

Then they commenced dancing again until just before the clock struck midnight. They kissed briefly and the fireworks started. Because of William's secret, she was distracted and not really paying attention to them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ruby kissing her beau of the past week, one George Crabtree.

_ I hope he knows what he's getting himself into. I love her to death but she can be the biggest brat! _

Julia looked around then and noticed Emily with her beau of the last three months. She thought that while her and Henry made an adorable couple, there was no denying that Ruby and George had more chemistry. But it was her sisters untameable passions that had led her astray countless times.

_No doubt, I only know about a fraction of the affairs she's had with married men!_

She hoped her sister would be faithful this time. George would be devastated to find out that she had ever cheated on him. And she'd hate to see that. He was such a kind-hearted person who deserved to be treated properly.

Julia glanced around some more and saw the Brackenreids calmly enjoying the spectacle. They looked so comfortable and content with one another. Then she couldn't help but imagine what life would be like for her in ten years time. Would William still love her as much as he does now? Would she? Or would something have caused a rift between them? Possibly something religious? Would she still be working? Or would she have stayed home to raise their adopted children? Would they be everything that she could have hoped for? Or would they be little brats like her own sister had been; still was?

These thoughts had the effect of really making her nervous about tomorrow. So much so that even after the fireworks had finally ceased and William had escorted her home, she wasn't the least bit sleepy, even though she was very tired from all the dancing and last minute preparations. She wondered if William was having as much trouble sleeping as she was. And if he was, did it have anything at all to do with their imminent marriage? Or was it because of his damn secret? Needless to say, she was poorly rested the next morning. The good news was that the wedding was not until four o'clock, so she had a lot of time to wake up and start preparing for what presumably would be the happiest day of her life.


	3. Dearly Beloved

January 1st, 1900

8:03 a.m.

Woke up groggily as I barely slept. Not for lack of trying. I simply couldn't stop my mind from racing about what I saw yesterday. The implications of such a machine are enormous! I hope I live long enough to see where such a thing will lead. One thing's for sure, the twentieth century is going to be grander than even I could have imagined! I do feel badly about not telling Julia but I wouldn't have been able to properly describe it anyways. Unfortunately it no longer will be a complete surprise for her, as I wish it had been for me. But I just couldn't leave well enough alone. As usual. I just had to find out what the big secret was. And now I can't focus on anything but that, even though the most important day of my life is upon me, even though I've wanted this to happen for the past three years! But I will continue to try and hopefully I will succeed before four o'clock.

9:14 a.m.

Went for a jog hoping it would wake me up and possibly ease my mind. I tried drinking coffee as well but I couldn't stand the taste of it today. The jog was moderately successful in it's primary function but I still can't stop thinking about the machine. I will continue to explore additional avenues of distraction.

9:42 a.m.

Tried reading various medical journals but haven't had any success yet.

10:25 a.m.

Fiddled with a new invention but couldn't concentrate enough to make any headway.

1:21 p.m.

Went down to the station and pulled out a homicide case that was never solved and employed my mind on that task. It worked for many hours but once I hit a dead end, my thoughts quickly returned back to the machine.

2:24 p.m.

Have been pacing back and forth in my apartment for the past hour. Not much else is going on.

3:15 p.m.

Thomas came by. He wanted to make sure I didn't forget my own wedding. Am about to head down to the church with him. I pray my mind will be clear by the time the ceremony commences.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the pews. It was a full house. Julia had seen to that. He didn't even recognize half the people on his side of the aisle. She must have tracked down all of his cousins or something. But there were several faces he did recognize, one of which was Mr. Myers. When they made eye contact, he smiled and nodded, tipping his top hat as he did so. Another was that of his mentor Father O'Connell. It had been less than two months since he last saw him, yet he looked decidedly worse. Murdoch didn't want to think about the implications of that so instead focused on the other faces present, in particular, those of his father and half brother. It was hard not to for they were sitting in the front row. He hoped their presence might distract him enough from the one and only topic that had been running rampant throughout all the corners of his mind. But then he noticed Pendrick, Bell and Tesla all sitting together at the back and he couldn't help but despair a bit. Why had he invited them yesterday? What had he been thinking?

Murdoch now employed his mind on taking in all that Julia had arranged here. There were lacy swathes hanging from the rafters and spiralling on down to the ground at the sides of the church. Exquisite flowers decked the halls; they were of every imaginable colour. Or so he thought. And to top it all off, rose petals had been scattered down the entire length of the aisle. He understood their significance immediately.

The wedding march began on the organ and the chattering died down almost instantly. First the Brackenreids approached. The inspector took a position beside Murdoch but on the stair below him. Margaret stood directly across from her husband. Next Ruby and George came out, arm in arm, walking slowly as if they wanted to soak it all up for as long as humanly possible. George took a position beside the inspector and Ruby ended up beside Margaret. Ruby winked at Murdoch and he tried his best to smile in return.

And now it was time for the main event. Mr. Ogden came out with Julia on his arm. As soon as he saw her, his mind finally relaxed and all thought ceased save for this moment. Even the sound of the music was no longer heard. She had on a tremendous dress with the longest train he had ever seen (which wasn't exactly saying much as he hadn't been to too many weddings over the course of his life). It seemed to him to go on and on and someone had to hold the door open so that it didn't get stuck. Regardless of all that nonsense, Murdoch had never seen her looking more beautiful. Even through the veil he could see her beaming at him and then for the first time in the last sixteen hours, he genuinely smiled.

They reached the end of the aisle, walked up the three stairs with some difficulty and Mr. Ogden handed Julia over to him, sharing a curt nod as they did so. Murdoch and Julia shared a jubilant look and turned towards the minister. If the music had previously stopped, Murdoch was unaware but it certainly was not playing anymore. There was utter silence throughout except for the occasional cough from the cold sufferers.

"Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honoured among all people.

"The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God."

He continued on for some time till he reached a pivotal point. "If anyone can show just cause why they cannot be lawfully married, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." Besides the coughing there was no sound. "William Aaron Murdoch, do you take Julia to be your wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love her, to honour and cherish her, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, and to be to her in all things a good and faithful husband as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he avowed.

"Julia Rose Ogden, do you take William to be your wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in holy matrimony? Do you promise to love him, to honour and cherish him, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, and to be to him in all things a good and faithful wife as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she said emotionally.

Then repeating after the minister, Murdoch said, "I, William Aaron Murdoch, take thee, Julia Rose Ogden, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. According to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I pledge thee my faith."

Julia repeated the process and the minister launched into a lengthy prayer and even Murdoch was getting impatient to complete the process. Eventually he obliged him.

"It is a Christian custom to exchange rings as a symbol of love. As the rings have no end, so your love should have no end. As the rings are made of gold symbolizing purity, so should your marriage have purity. As often as either of you see them, you will be reminded of this moment and the endless love you promised. William, what token do you give that you will perform your vows?"

Murdoch handed over the golden ring.  
"Julia, do you receive this ring in token of the same?"  
"I do."

Murdoch slipped on the ring feeling her trembling hand as he did so. Looking up he could see her eyes gleaming brightly and his own began to do the same.

Again, repeating after the minister he said, "Julia, this ring I give to you in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love."  
The same thing was done with Murdoch. Though Julia had some difficulty getting the ring on his finger because her hand was still trembling.

The minister started praying again and Murdoch felt like strangling him. If things had only worked out with his own priest, he was sure he could have asked for the ceremony to be how he desired it to be. This man had not wanted to deviate from his norm in the slightest. Then he felt badly for thinking such a thing and instead focused on Julia whole heartedly and was awarded generously in kind.

"The groom may now kiss the bride."

Murdoch lifted back the veil and kissed her tenderly but at the same time passionately.

When they had finished the minister said, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Murdoch."

The audience clapped and cheered, some of them bothering to stand up as they did so but most remaining seated.

Brackenreid grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him affectionately, saying, "Well done, me old mucker!"

Arm and arm they walked down the stairs, Julia being careful not to trip and they headed down the aisle and outside into the dark, freezing cold evening. They hurried into the awaiting carriage (it was a very large, handsome one, Murdoch had never seen the like before) with the crowd cheering them on from behind. Then the driver began taking them to the reception where history would be made for the second time that evening.


	4. It Happened One Night

On the way there, they couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another. This was partly due to the emotional high they were experiencing and partly because they wouldn't get another chance for many hours to come. Things were getting hot and heavy on the spacious seating when the carriage stopped. They managed to stop as well just before the driver opened the door. Then they headed on into the reception area, though it wouldn't officially start for half an hour.

Murdoch's jaw dropped when he saw the sheer majesty of the hall. It was the most elegant, lavish, tasteful design that he had ever seen in his life (again not saying much for him) but everyone would be of the same opinion. The decorations that Julia had arranged for only served to magnify the wonder of the place.

"Julia," he said awed, "I'm sorry I ever doubted you. This was money well spent."

"Oh William," she sighed and then laughed. "How can you be so practical at a time like this?"

He smiled and said, "A lifetime of practice."

They started smooching again but were shortly interrupted when they heard the grand doors open and close. Ruby and George stood there with laughing expressions across their faces but Murdoch wasn't embarrassed in the slightest.

"Oh don't stop on my account," said Ruby smirking. "Passion is a healthy part of every relationship. I should know," she said glancing at Crabtree.

He smiled awkwardly at that and even blushed a bit.

"Yes, well," said Murdoch wanting to get away from the topic now, "shall we take a tour of the hall?"

"Yes, let's do that!" exclaimed Julia excitedly.

And so they occupied themselves in that task for ten minutes until the rest of the guests started poring in, all with the same awed expression as Murdoch. Even Julia's wealthy friends and family were quite taken with the hall and congratulated her on it and of course her marriage.

There was an ever growing pile of presents in the corner and Harry and Jasper had just added to it. Then they spotted him and came over.

"She seems like a fine lady," said his dad. Murdoch was pleased to note that he wasn't the least bit drunk. Somehow he knew he owed Jasper for that rather large favour. "Congratulations son," he said shaking Murdoch's hand.

"Thank you...father." He hesitated for a second calling him that. It must have been close to thirty years since the last time. Harry noticed as well and then promptly left, claiming something was in his eye.

"I see you made it right, William," said Jasper. "I knew you could do it."

"Thank you for your encouragement all those years ago. And thank you for coming all the way down here, you didn't have to. We barely know one another."

"That may well be the case but you have to admit that we are very similar men, and because of this I know you would do the same for me, so the question of our familiarity becomes a rather moot point, wouldn't you agree?"

Murdoch smiled and said, "Yes, I would."

Jasper also smiled and said, "I'm glad to hear it. So I presume I'll be seeing you in British Columbia soon."

Murdoch processed that for a few seconds. "Congratulations Jasper," he said shaking his hand. "She's a lucky woman. Why didn't she come with you though?"

"Oh, she's a bit busy writing her latest poem. She didn't want to be distracted from her artistic pursuits. I hope you can understand."

"Of course. I'm sure I'll be happy to make her acquaintance when I go out there. When is the wedding to take place?"

"In about two months time. Please bring Julia along with you if at all possible."

"I will."

Conversation abounded and because there were so many people, the cacophony of sound was almost overwhelming, especially when it reverberated off of the high ceiling. Finally the noise lessened as everyone took their respective places at the multitude of tables present and the master of ceremonies began speaking.

"May I have your attention ladies and gentlemen. It's time for the first dance. I present to you the Murdoch's!"

They took their place centre stage and the music commenced. The orchestra was playing the same waltz they had practised dancing to years ago when they both unwittingly ended up as partners. Murdoch smirked at the remembrance of how he had accidentally gotten a little too personal with her when he tripped over her foot. Julia was smiling too and he wondered if she was thinking the same thing or whether she was just happy to be there now with him. One thing was for sure, he was enjoying himself immensely. All too soon the song was over and there was some polite clapping.

"Wasn't that lovely folks?" There were murmurs of assent. "I'm sorry, what was that?" the young man yelled, cupping his ear. This time there was an explosion of sound and it hurt Murdoch's ears. Thankfully it was over almost immediately. "That's more like it! And now it's time for the bouquet toss. Get ready ladies!"

Seeing as most of Julia's friends and family were older and therefore already married, there weren't too many eligible bachelorettes present. Julia smiled at them and then turned around. She arced it high into the air, almost to the ceiling and then promptly turned around again to see who would catch it. There was a bit of a tussle (and screaming) but then to surprise of her own, Ruby ended up with it. Her sister made a not so subtle display of blowing a kiss towards George, and Murdoch got an uncomfortable flashback of his own, in which something similar had happened. However, he had obviously not ended up with the girl in question. And even though he didn't believe in superstitious non-sense, Murdoch couldn't help but wonder if the opposite would prove true for George. Especially after George had told him how much he enjoyed Ruby's company.

"Bravo!" shouted the MC. "And now the groom has a _sensitive_ task to complete!"

A fancy chair was brought out to the centre of the dance floor and Julia plopped herself down. Murdoch was apprehensive about this part. As far as he was concerned, this was highly inappropriate. He had tried to get out of it all together but Julia wouldn't hear of it. Even so, he hesitated going over to her.

"Looks like he's a little shy! Let's give him some encouragement folks!"

The crowd started clapping as one and Murdoch finally made his way over there.

"It's okay, William," whispered Julia, "it'll be over before you know it."

He nodded once and then knelt down, lifted up her dress and ventured underneath it. He quickly located the garter amongst all the hordes of material and then proceeded to fumble with it all the way off her leg. Even so, he had only been under there for five seconds but it had felt like forever. He almost didn't want to head back out for he knew the crowd would make an even bigger ruckus than they currently were. But staying there wasn't going to do him any favours so he hastily removed himself and stood up, holding the garter aloft for all to see. The men in particular were getting rather rowdy, especially the ones clustering up nearby, waiting for their chance to catch it.

"Let's give him a round of applause folks! I think the groom has just set a new record!"

There was more clapping and a fair amount of boisterous laughing. Murdoch didn't bother waiting for the MC to speak again, he just tossed the garter at the lot of them and headed back to his seat. Julia soon after followed him there. This time Higgins had been the one to duke it out with Crabtree and in the end George had been successful. He was overjoyed at his accomplishment. Murdoch thought George probably assumed he had to propose soon. He hoped George didn't do this as they hadn't been dating for very long yet and he knew of some of Ruby's salacious exploits by occasionally over hearing her and Julia's conversations. Crabtree needed to wait a bit to see if she would be faithful to him beforehand but he was an impulsive man and it was anyone's guess as to what would happen.

"Take it easy fellows!" boomed the MC. "There's always the next wedding!"

Laughter followed. Around this point, many waiters popped out of nowhere (so it seemed to Murdoch) and began pouring everyone a glass of wine (including Murdoch). When that lengthy task was over, the MC announced it was time for the speeches.

"The father of the bride would like to start. So let's all give a big welcome to Mr. Ogden!"

The crowd clapped for a bit and Julia's father stood up.

"Good evening everyone and thank you for being here on such a delightful occasion!" Clapping. "Julia is my eldest daughter. She was always a very head strong girl and I'm happy to say that nothing has changed even now. Julia has faced many adversities over the course of her life and has fought her way through each and every single one. She has grown up into a wonderful woman and I'm proud to call myself her father." More applause. "I do not know her husband that well but I have heard great things about him from my daughter. If half the things she says are true, then she is a very lucky woman indeed." He raised his glass, "I wish you both the very best and hope you live long fruitful lives together." Loud clapping and some cheering.

Next Ruby wanted to make a toast. "Jules and I have been through a lot together. She's always been someone I could rely on to give me advice about things, be it personal or professional. Whether I listened to her was another story." Laughter. "Jules is an extremely caring person and I couldn't have asked for a better sister." Clapping. "As for William," she said getting a mischievous glint in her eye, "I hope he spent some time in the army because he's about to start taking orders from his new wife. And he'd be a fool to disobey." Ruckus laughter. She raised her glass, "Here's to my darling big sister and her brilliant husband!" Cheers and applause.

Surprisingly Harry wanted to make a toast.

Oh no, thought Murdoch.

"I'm Will's father. Will's a great man. He must have gotten his smarts from his mother because he definitely didn't get them from me." Laughter. "He's made a good life for himself here in Toronto and I'm very proud of him. Julia seems like a great lady. I'm glad to see how happy she makes my son." He raised his glass, "So here's to the both of you. I hope you have a great life together." Applause.

Brackenreid spoke next. "You lot may or may not know this but I've known Murdoch for the past eleven years, long before I became his boss. Over that length of time, I believe that we've become great mates. Most of the time I have no bloody idea what he's talking about but that doesn't seem to have affected our friendship one bit." Laughter. "Murdoch might live inside his head most of the time but I don't consider this to be a bad thing. It's that same brilliant mind that solves some of this cities most difficult cases. Without him, the constabulary would be lost." Clapping and cheering from the boys in blue (not literally of course as they were wearing black tuxedos). "Quiet down you lot! Anyways, without Doctor Ogden, blimey, I mean doctor Murdoch, Murdoch would be lost. I'm pretty sure I knew these two were meant to be even before they knew themselves. It was always obvious to anyone who spent more than a few seconds in their presence. So am I ever bloody relieved that they're finally together!" He raised his glass (which was mostly empty), "Cheers!" Clapping.

Crabtree stood up next. "I feel the same way as the inspector. So rather than repeat everything he just said, I'm going to tell you a story about my aunt Gertrude." Murdoch sighed internally. "I hope she doesn't mind. When she was a young woman, she loved a much older man with all her heart. Unfortunately, he died before they could be married. She vowed that she would never love another. But his estranged son came into town for the funeral and it was like she was seeing a younger version of her beloved. She tried to deny her attraction to him, thinking it would be a mockery to her first love's name. For many years she fought these feelings and then one day she came to her senses and they finally got together. They're still together to this day and couldn't be happier. Anyways," he said smiling, "the doctor and detective's story reminded me of this for some reason." He raised his glass, "May you be as happy together as aunt Gertrude and uncle Tom are!" Clapping and applause.

That was the final speech and now the MC announced that dinner was to be served. The waiters popped out of the woodwork again and started ladling soup into everyone's fine china bowls. After that course, there were five more dishes of increasingly exotic fare and Murdoch was beginning to feel very full indeed. Even so, the food did little to dilute the two glasses of wine in his system and he was feeling rather tipsy at the moment. Tipsy and unbelievably happy. Especially since the thought of the machine had not crossed his mind once since he first saw Julia that afternoon.

Around twenty minutes later the orchestra began playing another waltz and he felt like he was flying around the dance floor with Julia. He hadn't been this buzzed since that horrific night in the hot air balloon. Most of the guests were out there with them. For the next half an hour it was an incredibly blissful time for him and he assumed for Julia as well judging by her gay expression. All of a sudden the music abruptly stopped and the MC was announcing something else. Murdoch couldn't be certain but he could have sworn that George had moments before been speaking to him.

"Would everyone please bring their attention to the bay windows. I'm told there's quite a sight to behold!" While everyone was doing that, the MC continued speaking. "Would the bride and groom please head out to the balcony."

A server came by with their coats, they put them on and then headed upstairs to where the balcony was located. The combination of the alcohol, dancing and heavy coats left them feeling quite toasty, even outside. Especially since Murdoch was standing behind her and embracing her that way.

"William, this wouldn't by any chance have to do with your secret, would it?"

"You'll find out soon enough, Julia."

Nothing happened for several minutes across the large garden out back and then all of a sudden the lights came on outside and a sound could be heard. It was low pitched but loud. The sound got louder and louder but still nothing could be seen. Until all of a sudden it could.

"Look, up there!" exclaimed someone from down below. Oohs and awws abounded.

Julia craned her neck upwards and she breathed, "Wha-what _is_ that, William?"

"It doesn't have an official name yet but I think aircraft suits it just fine."

The machine in question was flying about twenty five feet in the air! It was about three feet in length and had two metal protrusions sticking out the sides of the main hull and one pointing upwards from the back end. There was some sort of blade on the front that was spinning so fast as to be almost invisible. The aircraft had lights illuminating the sides of it so that it could be seen better. The most surprising thing of all though was that no one appeared to be flying it!

"How is this possible?" she said loudly over the roar.

"Tesla, Bell and Pendrick teamed up to build it," he replied just as loudly. "Apparently Pendrick has had this idea for the past several years but could never get it to work. Bell has also been looking into this matter for many years. He's only recently found materials suitable to the task though. And Tesla rigged up the remote control device. He did something similar for a boat a few years ago."

"Well, it is quite the feat!"

"Yes, Julia, that it is indeed!"

It continued to move towards them until the sound became almost deafening. Then it changed course and dropped down right in front of them, scaring a number of people. Before it hit the ground, it pulled up and started moving away from them again. It flew around for a while in large circles about fifteen feet away and only about ten feet off the ground.

Then it rose up higher to where Murdoch and Julia were huddled together.

"Congratulations on your marriage Murdoch!" boomed a familiar voice, that of Pendrick's, through the built in speakers. "I hope this is a sufficiently awe inspiring gift to you! But it's not over yet!"

The aircraft started coming closer to them until it was almost above them. Then a hatch opened and confetti cascaded down on them, so that it looked like they were covered in snow. Julia began laughing and so did he and they just kept at it till the machine turned around and vanished into the night.


	5. End of One Chapter, Start of Many More

Awhile later after everyone had calmed down, Murdoch asked to speak with Crabtree privately.

"What was your part in all this?" he inquired politely.

Crabtree looked taken aback but responded nonetheless. "Back in November, after your engagement party, I tracked down Pendrick in Nova Scotia to inform him of the turn of events."

Murdoch knew that Crabtree couldn't have gone all the way out there again because he had been working along side him. So he must have contacted him via telegram. But he still didn't understand something.

"George, why did you find it necessary to do that?"

"Well, sir, I didn't know whether or not you would be inviting him. And I wanted to make sure he was here. Also, when we were out there, he mentioned he had been working on a startling new project for quite some time. He wouldn't tell me what it was but said you'd find it most fascinating if he ever managed to complete it. I thought maybe if he knew of your wedding, it would be enough motivation to figure it out."

"Thank you, George, that was extremely thoughtful of you."

"Don't mention it, sir, you deserve it."

"I just have one other question, George."

"Sir?"

"When did you realize Tesla was working with Pendrick?"

"As soon as you alerted me to the fact that you were suspicious of him. I mean, he's one of your idols! When I found Tesla I told him to complain about you. I had hoped the inspector would put an end to your snooping and I was right."

Murdoch didn't have the heart to tell him that he found out about the machine anyways so instead he said, "It certainly will be a night to remember."

Crabtree's face lit up. "Yeah, Ruby really got a kick out of it!"

"You two make a fine pair-"

"Thank you very much for saying that, sir!"

"-But please don't rush into anything."

Crabtree eyed him for a bit. Murdoch thought he understood. "Of course, sir." Crabtree left him then and almost immediately after he was approached by three others.

"Did you enjoy our little display, detective, even after you ruined the surprise for yourself?"

"Immensely, Mr. Pendrick. It was quite breathtaking." Shaking their hands he said, "Thank you very much for making my wedding such a special occasion. I don't know how to ever repay you three."

"No need, detective, I was happy to be of service," said Tesla, bowing slightly.

"Yes, that goes for me as well," said Bell, smiling. "I'm still rather glad you didn't arrest me for murder."

"You captured my villainous wife and gave me piece of mind," said Pendrick smiling. "What more could I ask for?"

"So what now for the aircraft?"

Pendrick raised his eyebrows. "I like that name, I shall have to remember it. But as to your question, I foresee a glorious new age for man! Where we will take to the sky in giant flying machines and so travel the world over!" Then smirking, "But first I'll have to figure out how to build a machine capable of holding a person's weight. That seems to be a much harder task to accomplish, one that will no doubt take many more years of trial and error. But I'm up to the challenge." Turning to his partners, "What do you two think?"

"I'm sorry, my friend," said Tesla, "but I have other pursuits that I wish to explore. Besides, I'm afraid I've already exhausted all my knowledge on such things."

"Thank you for everything, Tesla," said Pendrick. "I'll be sad to part ways."

"As will I, my friend."

"As for me," said Bell, "I would be delighted to continue helping you in this most noble of dreams."

"Splendid!" exclaimed Pendrick. "And now I believe it is time for you to go, detective. Go and be with your wife. I have little doubt that you are much better at choosing your women than I, so I have no fear that you will come to such a dismal end as I did."

Murdoch nodded. They three men returned the nods and then left him standing there. Julia came in at that moment.

"There you are!" she said exasperatedly, "I was looking all over!" She looked where he was looking, "Were they who I think they were?"

"Yes, Julia, they were indeed." Focusing on the present again he said with a big smile, "I think it's about time to get going, don't you?"

"Absolutely!" she said excitedly.

They linked arms and went back out to the main hall. The crowd had already gathered by the great doors to see them off. Murdoch nodded at all his friends and the family members he recognized. They acknowledged him in return. And then they headed out into the cold, dark night, the crowd braving the cold with them and cheering them on. They made their way over to the grand carriage and the driver helped them inside. Immediately they began to feel warmth returning to their fingers and faces.

Hands entwined, Murdoch and Julia gazed lovingly at one another as the carriage pulled away, taking them towards their new life together and what most assuredly would be a very bright future.


End file.
